Rural Views Of Albion And Plastic Warrior!

Prop shop.......Countryside views

After the dawn raid game I decided to clear the wargames table and set up something completely different. This is not a 5 minute job and as I looked at the Castle (which doesn't see much table time), I suddenly felt like I should leave it in place and create a rural scene around it without the town and take some photos. This is not for another game, its just for the fun I get in creating the 'scene' and enjoying placing the various items in my collection. I enjoyed it, and I thought one or two of my readers might like to see the results, even though they are not of a military nature. So here we go....just another day in Albion.

A glorious day for a ride 

A leafy view

A steep incline down over the river

Looking down towards the water mill

A hive of activity

Flour being collected for market

Feeding the poultry

A birds eye view

Scarecrow protecting the vegetable plot!

A rear view from the orchard 

Grazing cattle behind the orchard

Gathering the hay

Shepherd and his flock

Every village has one!

A ride in  the gig

Final view and post script.....

An hour later the table was cleared and I started to set out the royal armed forces of Albion on manoeuvres before Her Majesty. Military intelligence have so far refused my requests to show detailed photographs of the manoeuvres, but I am hoping to show a few in my next blog entry. For now, a photograph of her Majesty with her lady in waiting and the young Princess to her left, must suffice.

Three cheers for.......Plastic Warrior!

A couple of days ago, issue #198 of my favourite magazine 'Plastic Warrior', appeared on the doormat here at Apperley Towers. 

As I perused this wonderful journal over the breakfast bacon, I remarked to her ladyship that in another 2 issues, Plastic Warrior will have published 200 issues, a milestone for any magazine. In the case of Plastic Warrior however, I think this is a remarkable achievement as it compiled and published by a very small team of toy soldier devotees from home. This is not a product from a large publishing organisation and is largely compiled of articles written by the readers of the magazine. 

The editorial team is essentially Paul Morehead, a lifelong plastic toy soldier enthusiast and collector. He is assisted on the business and operations side by Eric Kemp and with various other contributions by Brian Carrick and Peter Evans, both of whom helped to found the magazine back in 1985.

I subscribed in 1991 and my first issue was #26 which I eagerly devoured. I have remained a keen subscriber ever since. The magazine is devoted to the plastic toy figure, whether civilian or military, animal or human and celebrates both old and new plastic figure production. It is not a wargames magazine, although a handful of wargames related articles have sneaked in over the years. Its remit is worldwide, but British production has probably dominated over the years with other European and American producers gaining ground as the years have gone by. It covers figure scales from 40mm up but the main focus is on the classic 1/32nd or 54/60mm  scale figures.

The early issues were black and white and hand stapled together. It gradually took on a more professional appearance and finally went full colour from issue #138. 

It is published 4 times a year and I wholeheartedly recommend it if you have even a passing interest in plastic toy soldiers or figures generally. 

In addition to the quarterly magazine, various 'specials' have been printed over the years highlighting the production of particular manufacturers. These specials have covered most of the British manufacturers such as Charbens, Cherilea, Lone Star, Speedwell etc. They are a treasure trove of information and photographs of the figures made by these companies. These special editions are in some cases, the most thorough documents of the output of a manufacturer that exist. Hugely helpful and valuable to the collectors of these ranges. 

 

And finally......... I can't leave this subject without a mention of the Plastic Warrior annual show!

I and my good friend John, have been trekking down to the London area each year since 1991 to attend and take part in the Plastic Warrior show. A great day out where attendees can wallow in the largest amount of plastic toy soldiers that gather under one roof in the UK. Its a huge plastic toy soldier marketplace, where you just never know what you will find (and buy). My advice to anyone attending, is to get there for when the doors open, bring plenty of cash (don't rely on cards as a lot of sellers are just collectors selling spares) and enjoy the event for what it is. Its a social gathering for many of us, meeting face to face once a year, when we can buy lots of new recruits and just talk toy soldiers. I shall be there behind a stall with John and hope to meet and chat with anybody who reads this blog. Oh and did I say......bring more cash than you think you will need!

Tara a bit!